Over 60 years ago, boredom at a family backyard gathering on Bainbridge Island in Washington State led Congressman Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum—and their families—to invent a new game. Using an old badminton court, they improvised with table tennis paddles, a plastic wiffle ball, and a lowered badminton net. From these modest beginnings, pickleball was born, with rules blending elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis.
Today, the sport is played by two or four players on indoor or outdoor courts. Competitors use smooth-faced paddles to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a 34-inch-high net until one side fails to return the ball or commits a rule infraction.
According to Pickleheads, a digital hub for pickleball players, there are over 21,985 pickleball courts in 8,970 cities across the United States. In Rhode Island, there are 61 pickleball locations with a total of 246 courts. Of these, 40 locations—with 166 courts—are public and free to use. Rhode Island ranks 58th in the nation for the number of pickleball courts.
The Sports and Fitness Industry Association reports that , from 2021 to 2024, pickleball became the fastest-growing sport in the nation. Two years ago, CBS Sports reported that 36.5 million people nationwide had played pickleball at least once.
On August 8, designated National Pickleball Day—just before the launch of AARP’s national Pickleball Clinic Tour—the Washington, D.C.-based aging organization released a study exploring older adults’ awareness and participation in the sport. A free Clinic Tour event will take place at Pickleball Citi in Cranston on Wednesday, August 27.
The survey found that nine in ten (91%) adults age 50+ have at least heard of pickleball, and more than half (55%) are either familiar with it or have played at least once. About one in ten (13%) report they have played the game.
According to the survey, when asked which activities have gained the most popularity among people their age in the past two years, 40% of adults 50+ selected pickleball—more than double the second most popular choice, walking/jogging (18%). A third (33%) of older adults familiar with pickleball expressed interest in learning more from experienced players.
A Sport for Families, Friends, and Generations
One of the sport’s biggest attractions is its ability to bring families and generations together. Among 50+ adults familiar with the sport, 81% said pickleball is a game people of all ages can enjoy together. More than half (52%) cited spending time with family and friends as a key benefit. Of those who play, 56% reported playing with family members and 48% with friends.
Pickleball also helps older adults expand their social networks. The AARP study revealed that 71% of 50+ adults familiar with pickleball view it as a great way to meet new people. In fact, 20% of those who play said they have played with individuals they first met at the court.
Beyond fun and socialization, pickleball provides meaningful health benefits. Nearly eight in ten (78%) older adults familiar with the sport say it is a great way to stay physically fit, and nearly nine in ten (87%) consider exercise a major advantage of playing. Two-thirds (67%) also say the sport helps them stay mentally sharp.
Stress relief is another benefit, cited by 46% of respondents. And for many, the simple joy of play matters most: three in four (75%) said pickleball is fun.
“We know that pickleball is particularly popular among our Rhode Island members and the state’s 50 and older population,” said AARP Rhode Island Associate State Director for Community Outreach Darlene Reza Rossi. “It checks so many boxes on the list of activities that can allow people to live healthier lives as they age. Aside from the obvious physical benefits, learning a new skill is an essential element of brain health. And the social part the game provides is another brain-health benefit.
“So, AARP Rhode Island all in when it comes to introducing more Rhode Islanders to pickleball because it aligns with our mission of empowering people to choose how they live as they age and our healthy living series, that includes free, online RI Healthy Cooking, Tai Chi/Qigong, Everybody Dance! And Laughter Yoga.”
AARP Pickleball Clinic Coming to Rhode Island
On August 8, AARP launched its 2024 Pickleball Clinic Tour to 20 cities nationwide to promote active aging and multigenerational play.
For Rhode Islanders, AARP will host a free Pickleball Clinic at Pickleball Citi in Cranston on Wednesday, August 27, from 5 to 8 p.m. Participants must sign a General Liability Waiver.
The event will feature an Intro to Pickleball clinic and open play, led by licensed instructors in an inclusive, welcoming environment. Open play will follow a drop-in format, allowing players of all levels to practice in a real game setting. Instructors will help match players by skill level, ensuring both beginners and experienced players can enjoy the sport, meet new people, and stay active.
Registration is free and limited to the first 100 people. To register, visit: www.aarp.org/RIEvents..
In addition to learning the game, participants will also discover AARP’s “Six Pillars for Better Brain Health” and explore opportunities to connect with AARP Rhode Island programs in their community.
So grab a paddle, bring your family or friends, and join the fun—pickleball might just become your new favorite way to stay active, healthy, and socially connected.
Published in Leadership Rhode Island’s Winter 2023 Newsletter
When Gilda Hernandez learned about Leadership Rhode Island’s new Senior Fellows Program, she promptly applied. Then the 65-year-old research librarian at Providence College crossed her fingers, hoping she would be selected for the no-cost, eight-week summer series designed “to lift the voices, knowledge and vision of Rhode Islanders, age 62 and over.”
Hernandez got her wish. She was among the 25 applicants invited to participate in the program’s pilot year.
She had two goals. As the medical advocate for her 88-year-old parents, Hernandez wanted to become an educated caregiver, one who knows how to navigate state agencies to get appropriate services for them. Beyond that, she wanted to be better prepared to tackle the societal problem of ageism, especially in the education sector.
The program was “what I expected. . . and more,” says, giving a thumbs up to the “exceptional programming and top-notch presenters.”
The newly-minted Senior fellows, residents of 13 different cities and towns, range in age from 62 to 83. Nearly half were retired. Four are graduates of LRI’s core program: Anne Powers, 1986 Zeta, Ron Caniglia, 1987 Eta, Susan Daly 2013 LotaII, and Hernandez, 2017 Nu 11.
“We were looking for a diverse group of individuals that clearly expressed an interest in aiding the older adult population in Rhode Island and could bring an interesting perspective to the cohort. We were also conscious of building a cohort that included individuals with different levels of experience in civic engagement,” says Teresa DeFlitch, LRI’s director of leadership development.
The idea to develop a senior advocates program came from Marianne Raimondo, 1989 Iota, who made the link between Leadership Rhode Island and James Burke Connell, executive director of Age-Friendly Rhode Island, an initiative at Rhode Island College that represents a coalition of public and private agencies, organizations and individuals committed to healthy aging.
Empowering Seniors to become advocates, activists and champions of age-friendly thinking and practices “will result in a Rhode Island where older adults thrive and live their best lives,” Connell says.
He made a pitched the idea to Michelle Carr, 2014 Kappa II, LRI’s executive director, who could easily see the benefits of the proposed joint venture. One such positive: Nearly a fourth of LRI’s 3000 alumni are 62 years or older, many of whom are prime candidates for the program.
More importantly, Carr adds, LRI and Age-Friendly RI are both propelled by the belief that citizens of all ages who are actively engaged in their communities can make lasting impacts.
Age-Friendly RI agreed to fund the pilot program and asked LRI’s “talented team” to handle recruiting, participant selection, curriculum planning, and guiding participants in the development of individual community commitments, Connell says.
To get started, DeFlitch says she had conversations with Connell and others associated with Age-Friendly movement during which it was emphasized that older adults need more opportunities to share their experiences and their solutions to age-related challenges.
She kept these observations in mind when working with the team to develop programming. The resulting curriculum drew on LRI’s long-standing reputation for facilitating dynamic learning experiences and took advantage of the expertise and availability of Age-Friendly experts.
Most session days were divided into two parts, with half focused on knowledge-building around relevant issues, such as housing, food insecurity, transportation needs, and health care.
The other half focused on skill-building, such as writing persuasively, public speaking and network building, to enable the Fellows to develop and eventually execute their own Civic Commitments.
The Fellows took turns describing their Civic Commitments during their final session, held at the RI State House. The presentations, which included several “poignant and pin-drop moments,” were well received by the audience, which included representatives from the state’s Office of Equity and Engagement, mostly nonprofit leaders, according to Age-Friendly Connell.
Senior Fellow Ron Caniglia, 77, from Warwick, applauds the advocacy program for emphasizing the importance of “living in place,” rather than “aging in place.” In fact, his Civic Commitment — to urge the expansion of Medicare benefits to adequately cover hearing, vision and dental care — would enable more older adults “to live life to the fullest.”
A retired contractor, Caniglia’s arguments for the expansion of these benefits are passionate and personal. Hearing loss, if not addressed, can contribute to the breakdown of family and everyday social relationships, he says. This could lead to unhealthy isolation.
DeFlitch has high hopes that the first crop of Fellows who are expected to begin civic engagement within six months of leaving the program – will have a positive impact on senior citizens throughout the Ocean State.
We hope, she says, that by participating in this program, the Fellows have expanded their knowledge, network, and confidence when it comes to making a difference.
It is also hoped, she adds, that each participant feels more connected to a supportive and joyful community, including their fellow Fellows, and the LRI and Age-Friendly networks.
“We are eager to run the program again and incorporate feedback from this year’s cohort. Working with Age-Friendly Rhode Island has been wonderful and we are learning a great deal from the cohort members about what’s affecting them as older adults in the state. It’s been an inspiring and energizing experience,” DeFlitch says.
Herb Weiss 